HOPE POVMy head hurt. It hurt bad. I was also having a hard time breathing at this point and my chest felt like something heavy was pressing on it. I was also hot and rocking from side to side.I kept my eyes mostly closed and looked through my lashes. There was an odd red glow around me and a very musty smell. I tried to stretch my limbs and realized my hands were cuffed behind my back.I held back a whimper of fear, trying to figure out what was happening. My senses were slowly coming back and my brain was beginning to clear. I felt a big bump and, with a jolt, recognized that I was in the trunk of a car.There was some rumbling noises and then the car rolled to a stop. I kept my eyes closed, waiting for an opportunity, any opportunity. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to be in the situation I was currently in. The red glow abruptly ended and there was some squeaking as the car rocked. I could hear footsteps crunching on gravel and th
HOPE POVI looked behind me again to see the two men gaining on me. I gasped and tried to put on a burst of speed.Ever since meeting Nicco and mating with him, my body had been undergoing some changes. I noticed I was getting stronger and faster. Maybe not werewolf strong, but more than a typical human. Since I got Nicco’s blood, my strength had increased even more. But it was failing me now. Whatever drug or poison that I had been given made my joints feel achy and leaden. I was running with my arms tied behind my back and my coordination was off. It was dark and I couldn’t see where I was going. I ran straight into someone.I bounced off them, landing on my back. I rolled to my side, scrambling to get to my feet while making mewing noises.“Shhhh, Luna. It’s me. We want to help you.”“Mario?” I gasped out, looking at him with shock. “Who is with you? What are you doing here?” I was confused and a little overwhelmed. How did he manage to be here? Could I trust him?
CHAPTERI was dragged along by Mario. I knew his eyesight was better than mine because he saved me a few times from braining myself into a tree, so I just trusted him, going along with it. He was sticking to the trees, staying away from civilization. I realized we were heading in the general direction of the villa.Five minutes after Gina left with my dress, we heard howling. Mario stopped short.“They figured it out. Those were hunting calls.” I took two steps forward, tugging at him. “Then let’s keep going. I don’t want them hunting me.”“Wait just a minute,” Mario said. “I’m going to shift. My wolf can go faster than us. Just climb on when I’m ready.” He squished up his face and with a horrific popping noise, shifted in front of me. His wolf was a lot smaller than Lupo and I was worried I would squash him. He swung his head wide and bobbed it and I pushed my worries aside, scrambling on to his back. I felt his legs buckle a little but then he gathered himself, trotti
NICCOHope dropped her tree branch and began to walk over to me. I took it all in. She was in her underwear, hair unkept, dirty and scratched. She was walking like she was drunk, staggering and dragging her feet all at once. As I watched, she began to crumple.I shifted and was by her side, catching her before she hit the ground. She was unconscious, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. I looked over at Mario who had managed to shift back into himself. He was still winded, bent over double and gasping for air.“Why does she smell like you?” I asked, my voice fierce.“I scented her, Alpha. I’m sorry but I needed to buy us some time.” His voice was respectful but full of fear.“And why is she half naked?” I pressed. “Because I took her dress and led the hunters away,” a voice said from behind me. I turned to look and saw a girl walking towards me. She looked remotely familiar, but I didn’t know why. She looked at me and took exception to the look on my face. “Oh,
HOPEI jerked myself awake with a gasp. I was having a nightmare, the same one I had at least three nights a week. In my dream I was reliving the first time my stepdad had sold me to one of his friends in exchange for drug money. The man hadn’t been gentle, and he liked it that I fought and screamed as he thrust himself into me over and over, tearing me and making me bleed. It was traumatic and I usually woke myself up screaming the way I screamed when it had first happened to me four years ago.I lay still, breathing in and out, repeating my mantra to myself. “I am strong. I am safe.” I opened my eyes and focused on the ceiling of the 1999 Toy0ta van that I currently called home. It wasn’t much but she was fully paid for, cheaper than an apartment and had the advantage of being able to easily move if my past got too close to me.This was the week that the mechanic shop I worked for was offering half off oil changes, and we were booked solid. I couldn’t afford to show up exha
Chapter 2NICCO“You ready to go, Alpha?” Vinnie asked me. I stared at the spot where the girl disappeared. I wanted to go after her. No one ignored me, especially not women. Most women threw themselves at me.I frowned, remembering her awkward lies about the big dog and her boyfriend. I must have scared her, somehow. I know I’m a scary guy, but women usually didn’t run away from me. And there was the little matter of her being my mate. My wolf, Lupo, was going crazy. As soon as I got out of the car I could smell her. She smelled like violets and sunshine and oranges, all at once. Lupo began screaming that she was our mate as soon as we caught her scent.Problem was, I couldn’t sense her wolf and that meant one thing. She was human. And there was no way that my mate could possibly be a human. This was a huge mistake. I realized Vinnie was talking to me and I nodded, sliding back into the car. Vinnie turned over the engine and it sounded a lot better. He carefully ste
NICCOI waited in the car for about a half hour. This was how it usually went when we were dealing with humans. The boys went in, cleared the home and then roughed up the guy for a little bit. I would join them later. Today I was waiting for the missus.I saw her pull into the driveway and I got out, pocketing my cellphone in my hip pocket. She watched me cross the street, warily. I gave her a wide smile, trying not to look threatening. From the way she widened her eyes, I probably wasn’t successful.“Amy?” I asked, pleasantly. She nodded and then looked nervously at the house. I could hear a muffled scream coming from inside. “What’s going on?” she asked, clutching her purse and backing up. I continued up to her and took her elbow, using my other hand to gesture in front of me. “Let’s go inside, shall we?” I tugged gently on her arm, but she wasn’t having it. She stayed put. “Tell me what’s going on.” Her voice was flat. I sighed. “We’re having a little conversation
NICCO “What now, Alpha?” Vinnie asked. He was watching me closely and I was pretty sure that he knew something was up. I wasn’t acting normally. My wolf was driving me crazy, and I was having a hard time thinking. “Can you get me more information on her?” I asked Vinnie. He wasn’t that great with computers but some of the guys that worked for me were. Vinnie nodded. “Sure. Give me a minute.” He selected someone from his contacts and spoke for a few minutes. He got a text and checked it, confirming something and then disconnected. “Joey is working on getting more information, but he was able to access DMV records and found a license for a twenty-year-old woman named Hope Smith. Photograph matches our girl. He did a run on the address listed and pulled up a vacant lot in Provo, Utah. No phone number listed. Joey didn’t find a lot of background information on her initially so he’s going to do a deep dive. He did say that she has a minivan registered in her name.” We b